Accord Party candidate for Edo Central Senatorial District in the 2027 general election, Kennedy Iyere, has urged political actors to shun violence, intimidation and electoral manipulation ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
Iyere, who is also the Coordinator-General of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP), called on Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and other political stakeholders to uphold democratic principles and allow voters to freely determine the outcome of the poll.
He said Adeleke, as the incumbent governor and chief executive of the state, had a responsibility to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully and in line with democratic norms.
Iyere also urged political leaders, particularly governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) present in Osun, to allow the electorate to freely choose their preferred candidate.
Addressing political actors in a video message, he said those who came to the state with the intention of forcing electoral victory for their party had no justification for being there.
“If the purpose of being in Osun is to, by all means, either by hook or by crook, enforce victory for the APC, then you have no reason to be in Osun State.
“If you are there to be civil and democratic, campaign for your party, prioritising the sanctity of life, if that’s your reason, you have every good reason to be there,” he said.
Iyere warned that turning the election into a “do-or-die affair” could lead to violence and loss of lives, stressing that political ambition should never be placed above human life.
“There should be no single death in Osun tomorrow, being Saturday, because some people want a forceful takeover,” he said.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and other political leaders to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully and transparently.
The Accord candidate also appealed to Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, whom he described as his friend, to ensure that political activities in Osun did not result in the loss of lives.
According to Iyere, the election provides the Tinubu administration with an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to credible elections, saying the conduct of the poll would influence public perception of the Federal Government.
“President Tinubu, the world is watching to see the outcome of tomorrow’s election. And that is the last judgement the people will pass on your administration,” he said.
“You don’t need to tell the people you are ready to conduct a free and fair election. Let tomorrow’s election in Osun show and prove it to the world that you want to.”
Iyere further cautioned against the use of political influence to determine the outcome of the election, insisting that the people of Osun should be allowed to choose their governor.
“How are they delivering Osun? It is the people who should deliver their own winner, not power from the Villa,” he said.
He urged any political leader who may have issued directives aimed at influencing the outcome of the election to reverse such instructions in the interest of national stability.
“I believe you didn’t say that. But if that actually was the instruction, in the interest of our national stability, it had better be reversed because the unexpected might happen in Osun,” he warned.
Iyere also expressed concern over reports that some political actors were allegedly purchasing weapons and strengthening cult groups ahead of the election.
He warned that the proliferation of weapons among young people could create security challenges long after the election.
“The reports we are having indicate that some political gladiators are buying guns, are buying machetes, and are strengthening cult groups just to use them for tomorrow,” he said.
He questioned how politicians would retrieve such weapons after the election, warning that armed youths could become a long-term security threat.
Iyere said Nigeria’s experience with insurgency should serve as a warning against the weaponisation of young people for political purposes.
“Tomorrow you don’t know that another species of insurgents will arise out of these people you have created, as it happened in Borno,” he said.
He further warned that the country’s economic difficulties and growing frustration among young people could make political violence particularly dangerous.
“Nigerians are not happy. The youths are not smiling. Let’s not provoke whatever puts them on the streets,” he said.
“That is one thing we may not recover from.”
Iyere urged political leaders to place national stability above individual political ambitions, stressing that Nigeria could not afford another cycle of violence.
“We have no other country to call our own. Let our selfish political ambition not ruin our peace,” he said.
He also urged politicians seeking elective office to accept the verdict of the electorate, whether favourable or otherwise.
“Why should we die because we want to choose a leader? Anyone who is coming to serve must not kill, must not be involved in any criminal act to win,” he said.
“If you want to serve the people, they want you, they vote for you, you serve them. If they don’t want you and you are sure of yourself that you were genuine, you walk away.”
The Accord candidate called for an end to the “do-or-die” approach to Nigerian politics, saying elections should be conducted in the spirit of sportsmanship.
“I’m a candidate of the Accord Party. I’m running for this election, and I’m going to win my election. Elections should be conducted in the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.
Iyere, who described himself as a humanitarian activist, social entrepreneur, philanthropist and justice crusader, warned political leaders against actions capable of plunging the country into another security crisis.
“Wise men do not start wars. You know why? Not every man who started the war lives to see the end of that war. A word is enough for the wise,” he said.
